Eureka Pizza to Franchise

Rolf Wilkin, owner of Fayetteville-based Eureka Pizza, said the company’s marketing director, Chad Needham, plans to open the first three Eureka Pizza franchise eateries. Wilkin said Needham has yet to determine where those restaurants will be, adding that they could be located anywhere in the nation.

If the experiment goes well, Wilkin said he may make more Eureka Pizza restaurants available to franchisees.

Founded in 1992, Eureka Pizza currently has four restaurants in the Joplin, Mo., area and six in Northwest Arkansas.

The company plans to open two restaurants in Fort Smith by the end of September.

Mama Mia’s

closes to relocate

Mama Mia’s Take and Bake Pizza and Calzone has closed at its 1814 Crossover Road in Fayetteville, but owners plan to reopen on College Avenue by fall.

Kathy Simpson, who owns the restaurant along with her husband Dave Simpson and son Jeff Simpson, said the College Avenue address will give the eatery more visibility.

“We were behind some other buildings at the other location,” she said.

The family opened the restaurant Dec. 1, 1998. At the previous, 1,400-SF location, it served no cooked food, only salads along with pizza and calzone that could be taken home and cooked. But Simpson said the restaurant may serve cooked pizzas at the new location since it will be large enough to accommodate tables.

For the past seven years, the Simpsons have operated Simpson’s Heritage Seeds, a 35-acre herb farm in rural Washington County. They use some of their herbs in the dishes prepared at Mama Mia’s.

Mama Mia’s has been closed since July 15.